Tehran's Sinister Hand in Hamas: Unveiling Iran's Role in the Recent Attack on Israel

The unprecedented attack by Hamas on Israel was carried out with an unprecedented level of coordination and sophistication. Hamas militants successfully infiltrated by land, sea, and air, completely overpowering Israeli defenses and resulting in the tragic loss of over 900 lives, including both military personnel and civilians.

The amount of planning needed for this assault raised doubts about Hamas' ability to carry it out alone, leading to speculation about possible assistance from its regional supporter, Iran. Iran, however, has denied any involvement and its mission to the United Nations released a statement praising the attack as "completely independent and strongly aligned with the legitimate interests of the Palestinian people."

Deputy national security adviser Jon Finer restated on Monday the United States' belief that Iran is "broadly complicit" in Hamas attacks in Israel. However, he mentioned that the US currently lacks "direct information" connecting these attacks to Iran at this moment.

A building is ablaze following rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip, in Tel Aviv, Israel October 7, 2023.

Itai Ron/Reuters

The United States is continuing its efforts to determine the link between Iran and the recent attack in Israel. During an interview on ABC's "Good Morning America," Finer stated that Iran has been involved in supporting Hamas for many years, providing weapons, training, and financial assistance.

He added, "Although we currently lack concrete evidence of Iranian involvement in the organization or coordination of the recent attacks, we will closely investigate this matter."

However, the documented history of Iran's changing relationship with Hamas and its Palestinian militant allies, such as the Islamic Jihad, is well-known. The Islamic Jihad, a smaller but influential militant group operating in Gaza, has maintained a longstanding and publicly acknowledged alliance with Tehran.

Hamas has had a complex association with Iran, initially distancing itself due to Iran's backing of Syria's President Bashar al-Assad during the civil war. However, Hamas eventually realigned with Iran and has been actively coordinating with Iran and its paramilitary allies in pursuit of its militant objectives.

According to Israel, Iran provides substantial support to Hamas, amounting to approximately $100 million annually. The US State Department confirmed in 2021 that Hamas receives financial aid, weaponry, and training from Iran, along with contributions from Gulf Arab nations.

Lebanon's Shia armed group Hezbollah, a paramilitary ally of Iran in the region, has frequently proclaimed its strong security coordination with Palestinian Islamist groups. (Hezbollah, Hamas, and Islamic Jihad are deemed terrorist organizations by many Western nations and some Arab countries.)

According to Kobi Michael, a senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) in Tel Aviv, Iran's objective is to induce "a state of perpetual conflict to wear down Israeli society and the Israel Defense Forces."

"Both the Iran strategy and the Hamas strategy share a common denominator, making Iran an asset for Hamas and Hamas an asset for Iran," stated Michael.

Less than a month prior to the unexpected assault, Saleh Al-Arouri, the deputy head of the Hamas politburo, and Ziad al-Nakhalah, the chief of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, were photographed in Beirut, together with Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah.

In April, Ismail Haniyeh, a senior political leader of Hamas, traveled to the Lebanese capital to hold meetings with Nasrallah. It remains unclear how Haniyeh, who is based in the blockaded Gaza Strip, managed to make the journey to Lebanon.

Chairman of the Hamas political bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, confidently raises a victory sign in the presence of bodyguards and esteemed Palestinian officials during a vibrant rally in the bustling southern Lebanese port city of Sidon.

In his recent televised speeches, Nasrallah asserted the alignment of his group's strategic objectives with those of his Palestinian militant counterparts. He has also hinted on multiple occasions at expanding the group's rules of engagement with Israel to mirror the strengthening partnership.

Lebanon and Israel are currently in a state of war, and Hezbollah maintains a dominant presence in the southern region of the country, which shares a border with Israel. The year 2006 witnessed an international conflict erupt between the two nations, resulting in more than 1,100 casualties in Lebanon and over 200 fatalities in Israel.

Since then, there have been very few instances of fire exchanges between the warring parties. Hezbollah has consistently threatened to strike Israel using its expanding collection of missiles and rockets, but only if Israel were to first strike Lebanese territory. However, Nasrallah's stance has recently shifted as he promises to intervene on behalf of the Palestinians in the event of an Israeli military attack on "Christian and Muslim holy sites in Jerusalem."

The US and Israel hold the belief that Hezbollah possesses precision guided missiles. Nasrallah has previously stated that his militant group could potentially mobilize "100,000 reservists" in the event of war.

An evolving alliance

Hamas and Iran have historically had contrasting views. The Syrian civil war witnessed a conflict between Assad and his predominantly Alawite and Shia allies, and a Sunni opposition movement primarily composed of Sunni Muslims - the largest branch of Islam. Hamas identifies as a Sunni organization, while Iran's so-called resistance axis is predominantly Shia.

The tension lasted for several years but started to dissipate as Syria began to improve its relations with influential Arab nations, such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, in recent times. As the prolonged Shia-Sunni proxy wars in Iraq, Yemen, and Syria gradually came to an end, Iran's elite force, the Revolutionary Guards, redirected their attention towards Israel.

Smoke rise above buildings during an Israeli air strike, in Gaza City on Sunday, October 9.

Mahmud Hams/AFP/Getty Images

The Israeli defense minister has ordered a complete blockade of Gaza, as the conflict with Hamas reaches its third day. It seems that Tehran's connections with Palestinian Islamist groups are an important part of the Revolutionary Guards' strategy, although the specifics are unclear.

The role of Iran in the recent events is uncertain, according to Khaled Elgindy, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute in DC. While Iran has been known to support Hamas in various ways, including financially and politically, the extent of its involvement in the operational aspects of the October 7 operation is still unknown. Elgindy emphasized that no intelligence agency, including the Israelis, was aware of these events in advance.

The potential involvement of Iran in the recent operation could greatly impact the ongoing war. If Iran and its Lebanese paramilitary allies were indeed behind the plan, it might indicate an increased role for Iran as the conflict continues.

It is evident that the partnership between Palestinian militants and Iran has grown stronger, which could create unrest in the region. As the war escalates in Gaza, with over 550 Palestinians killed due to Israeli airstrikes, Israel has bolstered its troops along the northern border. This move is significant as Hezbollah, Iran's most influential ally, could potentially join the conflict and significantly impact the outcome.

CNNs Betsy Klein, MJ Lee, Jim Sciutto and Pamela Brown contributed reporting